Unusual aliovalent Cd doped γ‐Bi2MoO6 nanomaterial for efficient photocatalytic degradation of sulfamethoxazole and rhodamine B under visible light irradiation

• Published in: Carbon neutralization (Print) 2023-11, Vol.2 (6), p.646-660
• Main Authors: Zhang, Bohang, Fang, Canxiang, Ning, Jing, Dai, Rong, Liu, Yang, Wu, Qiao, Zhang, Fuchun, Zhang, Weibin, Dou, Shixue, Liu, Xinghui
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antibiotics; Cd‐doped; DFT; Efficiency; Free radicals; Light; Photocatalysis; Pollutants; Rhodamine B; sulfamethoxazole; Thyroid gland; γ‐Bi2MoO6 photocatalytic
• ISSN: 2769-3325; 2769-3333; 2769-3325
• DOI: 10.1002/cnl2.96

Due to γ‐Bi2MoO6 (BMO) has attracted considerable attention because of its unique layered perovskite structure and excellent electrical conductivity. However, the easy recombination of electron–hole pairs limits its practical application. To address this issue, we successfully prepared aliovalent Cd2+ doped BMO (Cd‐BMO) by using a simple hydrothermal method for the degradation of the sulfamethoxazole (SMZ) and Rhodamine B (RhB). The result found that the degradation efficiency of Cd‐BMO is significantly higher than that of BMO, despite an increase in the bandgap after the introduction of Cd2+. The superior degradation efficiency of 8% Cd‐BMO, with a smaller particle size and larger specific surface area, can be attributed to its fast charge separation efficiency, low charge transfer resistance, and low rate of electron–hole pair recombination. Repeated and ion spillover experiments prove that 8% Cd‐BMO shows good stability and environmental protection. Theoretical simulation demonstrates that Cd offers electrons to the BMO system due to the decreased binding energy of BMO. The 8% Cd‐BMO sample can provide a suitable electric band edge for generating dominant active radicals during degradation. This work not only provides a potential candidate of 8% Cd‐BMO for practical degradation but also sheds light on the design of superior photocatalysts. Highlights Cd2+ doped γ‐Bi2MoO6 was prepared by a hydrothermal method. It exhibited a superior sulfamethoxazole degradation efficiency. The reason for the high‐efficiency degradation was analyzed in detail by combining experiments and DFT calculations. The ion spillover experiment proves that the prepared material has good stability and environmental protection. The effect of the pH value of the precursor on catalytic performance was studied.